§ Q3. Mr. Carterasked the Prime Minister how many letters he has received on the implementation of his policies for improving the standard of living.
§ The Prime MinisterAbout 1,400 since the General Election.
§ Mr. CarterIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that the greatest contribution any Government can make to the maintenance of the standard of living of the British people is the maintenance of full employment? With that in mind, will he put a figure on the total to which he is prepared to see unemployment increase before being willing to act directly to reduce it?
§ The Prime MinisterMy right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer has already explained the impact of his measures on the employment situation 704 and has said that if further meaures are required, he has the necessary powers to take them.
§ Mr. Roy JenkinsSome confusion has arisen over what the Chancellor has said in his various statements. Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that while, in his Budget Statement, the Chancellor said that he was hoping to achieve the modest target of holding unemployment at its present level—there was no suggestion of reducing it—in his more recent speeches he seems to have indicated that until the wages position is brought under control, unemployment must be allowed to go on rising to whatever level it finds itself?
§ The Prime MinisterI do not accept that, and, I am sure, inadvertently, the right hon. Gentleman has misinterpreted what my right hon. Friend said. There was an opportunity to examine this in the Budget debate, and it can be debated again today in the debate on unemployment, which the Opposition have chosen as the subject for one of their Supply days.